


Mina's Been Chaeting

by sleepynayeon



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: 2YEON - Freeform, F/F, Fluff, Minayeon, a bit of angst?, chaeyoung third wheels at first, michaeng, michaeng are practically bitches, slight chaeyu at the end, squint for namo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 19:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12042207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepynayeon/pseuds/sleepynayeon
Summary: Mina and Nayeon have been dating for quite a while.But Nayeon notices something...odd about Mina's behavior regarding Chaeyoung.





	1. Introduction to It All

**Author's Note:**

> a michaeng x minayeon fic i originally wrote on aff. it's my very first story lmao, so in the beginning it'll be poorly written. i took over a year to write it and finished it a month ago, though i "completed" the story today.
> 
> obviously, it's on aff.
> 
> fluffy. no language whatsoever. not a lot of you will appreciate the lack of smut and language but oh well. i hope you enjoy!

It was the middle of August.

 

And the girls of TWICE were all spread out.

 

In other words, they weren’t together.

 

In more simple terms...well...

 

The girls had decided to take a vacation. They were exhausted from all their tours, and some of them had even gotten hurt. Visible bruises would show on their legs when they wore shorts. So they all spread out to different locations. Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Dahyun, together, took a trip to New York. Momo and Sana went to visit their families in Japan. Tzuyu left for Taiwan. And that left Chaeyoung, Mina, and Nayeon.

 

Who were all staying in the dorm.

 

They had nothing to do and nowhere to go. Mina’s family was abroad as well, in Texas, but Mina didn’t want to spend too much money and go to America, when everyone else had just spent thousands of dollars going abroad. Chaeyoung’s family lived close to the dorm, but they were very, very busy, and Chaeyoung didn’t want to bother them. And Nayeon simply wanted to stay at the dorm and rest. She had twisted her ankle recently after a performance and she couldn’t imagine herself traveling to visit her family. (She had called them and informed them, and they approved of her decision.) What’s more, she wanted to keep the younger company.

 

Well, to be honest, it wasn’t that.

 

Nayeon was dating Mina.

 

The two had come out earlier that year. Mina came out first, and Nayeon decided to come out as well, inspired by the bold action made by the normally shy Mina. At first, the other members had been awkward around them. But slowly, as they realized Nayeon and Mina weren’t the type to openly flirt with people and they kept their sexuality to themselves, they became less awkward and their relationships returned to normal ones.

 

Then, a few days before the members took their trips, Nayeon and Mina started dating. That didn’t come as a surprise to the members. Nayeon and Mina had been very close over the past few months, even going on trips together. At one point, the choreography of

CHEER UP was changed so Mina and Nayeon would be closer. (Thankfully, it returned to normal after a few days.) Their relationship was accepted and no one was awkward.

 

And now, Nayeon was left with Mina and Chaeyoung, worrying if it would be awkward for Chaeyoung.

 

Nayeon was in her room, curled up on her bed. It was the middle of the day. Mina had gone to the store, and Chaeyoung was watching a drama. Nayeon could hear the lead heroine sobbing heavily with the sad music in the background. She personally liked dramas, but the one Chaeyoung was watching? Yuck. It got a low rating, for god’s sake! And yet here Chaeyoung was, watching the drama.

 

 _I should really go outside and join her,_ Nayeon thought, looking at the time on her phone. It had been two hours since she had locked herself in her room and started fretting about how Chaeyoung might feel awkward with the couple around. _That’s a load of nonsense. I’m sure she’ll be fine, as long as we keep the skinship to a minimum..._

 

_Er, no. I’m not getting out of here just yet._

 

Nayeon decided to send texts to Jeongyeon and Momo, her go-to dating advisors. Momo had secretly confided in Nayeon that she was gay, and Jeongyeon had experience with both men and women. The two of them helped Nayeon out a lot, and Nayeon could use some more.

 

**To: Jeongyeon Oppa**

**Help...you left me here with Mina and Chaeyoungie and I’m worried that Chaeyoung is going to feel really awkward. What do I do?**

 

**To: Momoring**

**I think Chaeyoung might feel awkward with Minari and me around. What do I do?**

 

Sighing, Nayeon was about to turn her phone off, just when she also realized it had been an hour since Mina had left for the store. She sent a text to Mina as well.

 

**To: Miguri <3**

**Minaaaa where are you??? It’s been an hour!!! What are you doing? Should I come check on you???**

 

Nayeon’s phone made a sound, startling her. Momo and Jeongyeon had replied...and so had Mina!

 

**From: Jeongyeon Oppa**

**oh ur having trouble??? hahahaha of course!! well i suggest just don’t act all lovey dovey around chaeyoungie too much but you can have some skinship and flirt a little bit, it’s not like she’s going to get scared lol**

 

**From: Momoring**

**don’t flirt around her. do it when ur alone.**

**hahahaha “do it”**

**ya u should do it and see how it goes**

**i bet miguri won’t let u tho hahahaha**

 

**From: Miguri <3**

**I’m trying to find a certain ingredient for tonight’s dinner. I can’t find it anywhere...**

**Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. <3 <3**

 

Nayeon heard footsteps outside and quickly replied back to the texts.

 

**To: Jeongyeon Oppa**

**Thanks**

**And what made you think I’d have trouble, hmmm?**

 

**To: Momoring**

**Not funny Momo.**

 

**To: Miguri <3**

**If you don’t come in the next 20 minutes I’m going to get you!!!!**

 

Just when Nayeon put her phone under her pillow, Chaeyoung knocked on the door. “Nayeon...”

 

“A-ah, coming,” Nayeon stammered, getting off of her bed and opening the door. She faced Chaeyoung, who was dressed in all black (?) and was holding her phone. She held her phone up, her freshly painted black nails glinting in the white light that protruded from the lamp in Nayeon’s room. “Mina says I should come pick her up...you wanna come?”

 

Nayeon stared at Chaeyoung for a few moments, startled. Why’d Mina ask Chaeyoung and not Nayeon? Chaeyoung didn’t even have her driver’s license yet! She quickly snapped out of it and nodded. “Sure, let me get ready.” She closed her door, not slamming it, but not exactly closing it gently, either. Nayeon waited for the sound of Chaeyoung’s footsteps fading away, then she took her phone out and quickly texted Mina.

 

**To: Miguri <3**

**Why did you tell Chaeyoung to pick you up??? I could have you knowwww...I even have a driver’s license!!! Chaeyoung doesn’t!!**

 

Nayeon immediately got a reply back as soon as she sent it.

 

**From: Miguri <3**

**I had to tell Chaeyoungie something then I decided to ask her to pick me up because I knew she had to bring you along. There wouldn’t be any point of talking to her then to you, right? Well maybe there was but I thought it was faster. Come fast! I’m at the store around the corner, you know, five minutes away. I’m waiting~**

 

Nayeon couldn’t help but smile. Adorkable Mina. Gets her everytime.

 

She pulled on jeans and a striped shirt, grabbed her phone, and headed outside, where Chaeyoung was waiting for her. She tossed the car keys over to Nayeon. “You’re a good driver, right?”

 

Nayeon tipped her head to the side, confused. Then she remembered – Chaeyoung had never been in a car Nayeon drove. She had only been with Jeongyeon and Jihyo. (Mostly Jeongyeon.) “In my opinion, yes. I mean, even Jeongyeon admitted my driving was good.”

 

“Thank god,” Chaeyoung sighed. “You don’t want to be with Jihyo. I can’t even describe how bad her driving is without feeling like I’m going to throw up.” She opened the car door, and sat inside, shivering. “Seriously. You’re lucky you never were in a car Jihyo drove.”

 

Nayeon laughed, getting inside. She inserted the keys and shifted out of park and to drive, backing up out of the parking lot and heading to the street. “The corner store is apparently where Mina’s at. I wonder what she got there?”

 

Chaeyoung shrugged. “I dunno. There’s a lot of snacks there, and not a lot of grocery items. Maybe we’re going to have chips tonight?”

 

Nayeon laughed again, but she didn’t reply. The rest of the drive was in silence, Nayeon driving and Chaeyoung texting someone on her phone. _Probably one of the members abroad,_ Nayeon assumed, smiling.

 

They reached the corner store, where Mina was standing outside with two bags in her hands. They looked just about ready to burst, which concerned Nayeon. She got out of the car, Chaeyoung following. “Mina, how much money did you spend on these?”

 

Mina blushed, looking at her feet. “There were a lot of items that we needed...and also, I decided to stock up on snacks, so...you could say I spent a lot.”

 

Chaeyoung took the bags from her hands, grunting as she hauled them to the car. She got in the backseat while Mina sat down in the passenger seat and Nayeon returned to her seat. “God, Mina, why’d you get so much? I think we can survive on what we have right now.”

 

“God, Chaeyoung, why do you complain so much?” Mina playfully retorted. “You’d probably empty the whole fridge by tomorrow. Either you, or Nayeon.” She placed her hand on Nayeon’s free hand. Nayeon squeezed it briefly, then entwined her fingers in Mina’s. Like the drive to the store, the drive back was silent, but Nayeon felt less awkward about it and much more happier.

 

_After all, I have my Minari at my side._


	2. Guilt and The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mina's been hiding a secret.

**3 Weeks Later**

 

_Mina_

 

Mina was glad Nayeon wasn’t here.

 

Mina was very glad Nayeon had locked herself up in a different room. And that she wouldn’t come out for the next three hours.

 

Because if Nayeon was here, she’d be horrified.

 

Mina was in Chaeyoung’s room. And the two of them were cuddling.

 

Yes, that’s right.

 

_Mina actually loved Chaeyoung._

 

At first, Mina thought Nayeon was the one for her. She enjoyed being with Nayeon. She “loved” Nayeon.

 

Turns out she was wrong.

 

A few days after Mina had bought all those snacks (Chaeyoung kept complaining about it but Mina noticed that all the snacks were slowly disappearing...), Chaeyoung had appeared in Mina’s room. Nayeon had gone to meet JYP, so it was just Mina and Chaeyoung. Mina was using her phone, and Chaeyoung had been watching that pathetic excuse for a drama.

 

Until she appeared in the doorway of Mina’s room.

 

Mina looked up from her phone. “Oh, hi, Chaeyoungie. What do you want?”

 

Chaeyoung leaned on the wall, avoiding Mina’s gaze. “Um...well, I kind of wanted to spend time with you.”

 

Mina raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

 

“D-don’t take me wrong!” Chaeyoung spluttered, her face turning a bright shade of red. “It’s just that...well, you know, you’ve been with Nayeon a lot lately, and I never got to talk to you...I just want to have a casual conversation, is all.” She tucked a strand of her jet black hair behind her ear. “I mean, if it’s okay with you.”

 

“Of course it’s fine,” Mina said warmly, putting her phone down. She patted the space beside her. “Sit.”

 

Chaeyoung hesitantly headed over and sat down, tense, like she was unsure about the whole thing. Mina laughed and placed a hand on Chaeyoung’s shoulder. “Chaeyoung, it’s okay, Nayeon won’t get the wrong idea if she saw what was going on. I’d tell her what we’re actually doing.”

 

_Nayeon._

 

“I wanted to talk to you about something, too,” Mina confessed. She wasn’t sure if she really wanted to discuss it with Chaeyoung, though. _No. I do. She’s a good listener. And we’re close. She’ll understand._

 

Chaeyoung didn’t say anything. When Mina looked up, Chaeyoung was gazing at her expectantly, her arms crossed, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. That was the sign for Mina to start talking. “I don’t think I love Nayeon anymore.”

 

Chaeyoung’s jaw dropped. “WHAT?”

 

Guilt flooded Mina’s mind as she spoke. “I don’t know. I don’t feel the same way towards her anymore. Before, I really liked to be with her. I enjoyed talking to her. I loved everything about her. But...I don’t think she’s the right one for me. I lost all emotion towards her when everyone left.”

 

“Which was literally a month ago,” Chaeyoung pointed out. “You haven’t loved her. For a month.”

 

Mina hung her head, unable to meet Chaeyoung’s eyes, afraid that they’d hold anger, suspicion, or something worse... “I’m sorry. I just...it was a little crush. And I couldn’t refuse Nayeon when she asked me out. I loved her so much back then. But then I realized it was a small crush. Nothing big. And I couldn’t get myself to tell her that I didn’t want to date her anymore. I was scared her feelings would be hurt. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...you can tell Nayeon if you want, I won’t do anything...”

 

She felt a warm hand on her own hand.

 

Chaeyoung raised Mina’s chin up with her hand, and looked her in the eye. “I won’t tell her,” she murmured. “I won’t tell anyone. Not unless you’re okay with it. I’ll keep it to myself. Okay, Mina? I won’t say a word. I understand. It was a small crush, and you made a mistake by agreeing to date her. You can fix the mistake, though, and tell Nayeon everything. She won’t get angry at you, though I can’t guarantee her feelings won’t be hurt. After all, I know she loves you a lot, and getting rejected by the one you love...well...that’ll hurt.”

 

Mina shook her head, grasping Chaeyoung’s hand. “No...I can’t tell her. Not now. I just...I won’t feel comfortable at all. I’ll feel beyond guilty. I don’t want to right now.”

 

“Who said you have to do it now?” Chaeyoung said softly, brushing Mina’s hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. “It’s your call, Mina. You do it whenever you want to. I have no say in this. When you’re comfortable, then you do it. Alright?”

 

Mina smiled.

 

And that’s when she noticed...something was going on.

 

Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest, it was pounding so hard.

 

She felt a wave of emotions every time she looked at Chaeyoung.

 

She wanted Chaeyoung’s hand to always be in hers.

 

_No, she hadn’t noticed this just now._

 

“By the way...can I see your phone?” Chaeyoung asked, reaching for Mina’s phone. Mina grabbed it and placed it behind her. “U-um, not right now. There’s something I was watching...and it might close or something...”

 

Chaeyoung shrugged, a small smile on her face. “Okay.” She got up, patting Mina’s head. “It’ll be fine, Mina, don’t get too anxious. I’ll be here. You can talk to me whenever.” She left the room, probably to watch her “drama.”

 

Mina held her phone, tightly.

 

She didn’t want Chaeyoung to see what she had been typing.

 

**To: Chaeyoungie**

**Chaeyoung...**

**I actually love you...**

**And I have loved you since the day I met you.**


	3. What Happened Before Still Lingers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> with a secret revealed, chaeyoung has to ponder on exactly how she and mina got here.

_Chaeyoung_

 

**(We return to the present – Nayeon’s locked in her room, and Mina and Chaeyoung are cuddling bc michaeng fluff of course)**

 

Chaeyoung flinched as she heard a creak from outside the room. Slowly, she untangled herself from Mina, and tiptoed over to the door. She peeked outside...

 

No one was there.

 

She let out a breath of relief, and made her way back to Mina, laying back down beside her and resting her head on her shoulder. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” she whispered, guilt flooding her. “What if Nayeon comes out? What if she catches us?”

 

“She’s not coming out for three hours,” Mina assured her softly, stroking her hair, their hands entwined. “We’ll be fine. I believe I’ve told you this already, Chaeyoungie.”

 

Chaeyoung sighed. She couldn’t help but be cautious. After all, she didn’t want to be caught with someone else’s girlfriend...

 

Well, not exactly girlfriend.

 

Mina hadn’t told Nayeon how she felt. How she didn’t want to date Nayeon anymore. But she had made it clear to Chaeyoung that she had no feelings for Nayeon. Nayeon was just an unnie to her now.

 

However, she had made it _very, very clear_ that she liked Chaeyoung.

 

Mina had told Chaeyoung everything, like how she had liked Chaeyoung since the day they met. How she was actually typing up a text revealing her feelings, not watching a video. And fortunately for Mina, Chaeyoung shared the same feelings.

 

Chaeyoung had kept her sexuality to herself. Of course, she had realized she wasn’t straight when she took a liking to Mina. It overjoyed her when Mina had told everyone she wasn’t straight, and Chaeyoung had decided to tell everyone as well.

 

Then Nayeon came out. And immediately afterwards, started dating Mina.

 

Chaeyoung was crushed. She didn’t tell anyone about her sexuality after that. She was heartbroken. Mina didn’t like her. Mina liked _Nayeon._ She had meant what she had told Mina, about how getting rejected by the person you love can hurt. It had happened to her. She was speaking from experience.

 

It hurt even more when she was told that she’d be staying behind with Mina and Nayeon. How could she stay with the girl she liked and the girlfriend of the girl she liked? She didn’t know if she’d be able to handle it. She despised the thought so much, she begged Jeongyeon to bring her along to New York. But of course, Jeongyeon said no, and instead told her kindly to bear with them for the time they’d be alone together.

 

...That went well.

 

Chaeyoung managed to hide her jealousy and sadness from the couple, disguising it with her usual calm and quiet, but when she was alone in her room, her door locked, she’d cry. It was ugly. She’d be so furious, she’d scream into her pillow. She’d punch her bed so hard, she’d see feathers from the mattress on Dahyun’s bed, which was under hers (they shared a bunk bed). She’d pull her hair and clench her teeth and crumple up papers and scribble on the walls. She was so angry and hurt, she didn’t even care if Nayeon and Mina overheard her raging.

 

...Of course, they didn’t.

 

They were so occupied with each other, they didn’t notice how uncomfortable and tense Chaeyoung had become around them. And that infuriated Chaeyoung even more, up to the point where she’d have to physically stop herself from screaming at them (particularly Nayeon), either pinching herself or excusing herself, getting up, and leaving the room. It was a wonder how Nayeon didn’t notice how tense Chaeyoung was around her. That one day in the car, Chaeyoung felt so uncomfortable, she wanted to cry. She didn’t want to be stuck in the same car with her crush’s girlfriend. She was living a nightmare.

 

And then, it changed.

 

When Chaeyoung had gotten that text from Mina, she was bewildered. Why’d Mina text her and not Nayeon? She decided to ignore the fact and went to do as Mina indirectly asked, getting up and informing Nayeon.

 

Mina was in the car, the huge bags of snacks next to Chaeyoung in the backseat. Chaeyoung felt like stabbing someone when she saw Mina’s hand entwined in Nayeon’s. But then, Mina turned around and gave her a warm smile.

 

Mina had been acting differently around Chaeyoung. She was more warmer. Happier. Nice. Could it have meant something? Perhaps. But Chaeyoung wasn’t convinced. She’d never be until she saw Mina turning her back on Nayeon.

 

When Mina told her she didn’t like Nayeon anymore, Chaeyoung wanted to laugh. She wanted to smile. She wanted to bounce around and tell the world that _she might actually have a chance._

 

Of course, she couldn’t.

 

She remained calm, at least, on the outside. She was playing the part of Mina’s calm, kind, advising dongsaeng. She comforted Mina, her giddiness evaporating once she saw how sad and guilty Mina felt. She took it farther than she had to when she took Mina’s chin in her hand and leaned close to her face. But she wasn’t thinking at the time. All she wanted to do was make Mina happy again.

 

Chaeyoung snapped out of her daze at the very end of all that, when Mina wouldn’t let her see what she was doing on her phone. She shrugged, pretending not to care, but left suspicious and a bit sad. What could Mina have possibly been doing that Chaeyoung couldn’t see? What if it had something to do with Nayeon? What if Mina was lying to Chaeyoung?

 

No, that couldn’t be. Mina was the most honest person Chaeyoung knew, next to Tzuyu. Mina would never lie to Chaeyoung about something like that...would she?

 

The next few days were hell for Chaeyoung. She couldn’t enjoy any of her dramas, any of her games, any of her anythings, really. Suspicion and doubt were brewing in her mind, and her stomach churned whenever she saw Mina around Nayeon. Mina didn’t seem to be changed in any way towards Nayeon. They acted the same. Mina seemed a bit happier, even. _Maybe Mina feels so guilty, she just doesn’t want to make Nayeon sad or anything,_ Chaeyoung thought at one point. But that thought disappeared from her mind when she saw Nayeon kiss Mina, and Mina didn’t pull away. On top of that, it was awkward between her and Mina, the latter not talking to her at all, and glancing away whenever their eyes met. Chaeyoung was beyond confused. Why was Mina acting this way towards her...? What they discussed wasn’t something to be awkward about! It was a secret between just the two of them, something only they knew about, something they would never tell anyone else...something private meant for only them...

 

_Screw it, she’s not going to like me back._

 

Chaeyoung was done. She gave up. What could’ve been the start of their relationship disintegrated into piles of dust. It would just never happen. Mina would fall in love with Nayeon again somehow, or maybe start liking someone else. She’d consider Chaeyoung just a friend. They’d never be together.

 

She was sitting down on her bed a week after they had the talk, browsing social media on her phone, when Mina burst into the room, her eyes widened and full of panic. All thoughts of doubt and suspcion that had lingered in Chaeyoung’s mind evaporated, and all she wanted to know about was what was making Mina so panicked. She had risen to her feet and crossed the room to Mina, looking into her eyes and asking her what was wrong. Mina had started stammering about how she was sorry for avoiding Chaeyoung all that time, how she should’ve made it clear before...clear about what?

 

After a few minutes, Mina calmed down, and answered Chaeyoung’s question:

 

Clear about her feelings.

 

Mina loved Chaeyoung, and had done so ever since the beginning.

 

She told Chaeyoung about what she had really been doing on her phone. She told Chaeyoung how she had gotten a weird feeling when she saw Chaeyoung that one day during Sixteen, when all the contestants were meeting. She had loved Chaeyoung ever since they met, and had only realized it now.

 

Chaeyoung asked about Nayeon. Nayeon had been a...mistake. A person Mina had adored so much, she thought she liked Nayeon. Chaeyoung was the one who made Mina feel warm inside, the one who made Mina smile and laugh. The one whose texts Mina would always anticipate. The one who Mina wanted to be with always.

 

Chaeyoung couldn’t describe how she felt at the time. It was all sunshine, rainbows, clear skies, and...happiness. A jumbled up mix of several emotions, varieties of happiness, different versions of the same thing.

 

The problem was, even though they still loved each other, Mina hadn’t told Nayeon that she liked Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung was worried about this. She repeatedly asked when Mina would confront Nayeon, but Mina always brushed her off, saying that she’d do it when the time was right. When would the time ever be right?

 

Curled up in Mina’s arms, the question rose once more in Chaeyoung’s mind. “Seriously, Mina, you have got to tell her what’s going on,” she whispered. “I don’t want this to end badly.”

 

Mina sighed. “I have a feeling she already knows what’s going on. I mean, we’ve been spending a lot of time together for just about three weeks now. She’d know. She just doesn’t care.” Chaeyoung felt Mina’s arms tense, then relax, something she did often when she was stressed. “Let’s not think about this now, Chaeyoungie.”

 

“If that’s what you want,” Chaeyoung murmured, closing her eyes. Whatever Mina wanted, she’d be fine with...

 

“Hey, guys?”

 

Chaeyoung’s eyes flew open.

 

“I’m coming in, okay?”

 

_Nayeon!_


	4. Unsuspicious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nayeon thinks everything's fine.  
> after all, mina's just acting this way because she loves nayeon, right?

**Nayeon**

 

Nayeon stepped into Chaeyoung’s room, curious to know what Mina and Chaeyoung were doing. That, and she was hungry. She was greeted by the sight of them sitting on Chaeyoung’s bed, heads bowed, eyes fixed on the screens of their phones. _It’s been an hour, and this is what they’ve been doing?_ “So, you guys were browsing stuff on your phones in silence for the last hour?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

Mina looked up at her and grinned. (Which, as one would guess, made Nayeon want to throw her arms around her and hold her until the world ended.) “Yeah, basically, that’s what we were doing.”

 

“We were also discussing my drama,” Chaeyoung added in a quiet voice, not looking up from her phone. Nayeon was mildly confused as to why Chaeyoung wouldn’t look up at her, but she figured there was something on Chaeyoung’s phone that she was fixated on. “Oh, okay, that’s cool.” She turned her attention back to Mina. “Um, anyways, it’s just about dinner time. I’m hungry. Are we going to make anything or...?”

 

“Ah, right,” Mina stammered, getting to her feet, obviously flustered. _Cuuuute...!_ She tossed her phone onto the bed, beside Chaeyoung, and smiled at her. “Chaeyoungie, we’ll be back, alright? I’ll come get you when dinner’s ready.”

 

“I’ll probably be able to smell it,” Chaeyoung replied, grinning widely at Mina. “So there’s no need.” Mina giggled, and nodded. “Okay, then!” She grabbed Nayeon’s hand - _OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD_ \- and led her out of Chaeyoung’s room. Nayeon was faintly aware of the door slamming shut behind them (probably because of Chaeyoung), which should’ve concerned her, but she didn’t care. She was with Mina. And that was all that mattered.

 

The two headed to the kitchen, Mina immediately entering her serious, all-business mode as soon as they stepped in. “Nayeon, can you put a pot out on the stove?” she asked – it was more like an order, really, an order under the guise of a polite ask for help. Nevertheless, Nayeon obeyed her girlfriend, carefully sliding a pot out from underneath the pile of dishes and pans in the cabinet (Nayeon made a note to tell Jihyo to never let Momo do the dishes ever again) and placing it on the stove. She set the heat to one, the lowest level, and stood back as Mina approached the pot and started sliding sliced carrots and tomatoes into it. “We’re going to have a soup today,” she murmured to Nayeon, grabbing a can of broth and pouring it into the pot. “I saw the recipe online, and it looked good, so I decided to make it. You don’t mind, do you?”

 

“No, it’s fine,” Nayeon assured her, watching as Mina started to chop up different vegetables she had fetched from the refrigerator. “I’m sure whatever you make will be amazing.” She took a step forward, and outstretched her hands to rest them on Mina’s shoulder. Slowly, she slid her arms down until they touched Mina’s waist, and from there, she curled her arms around Mina so that she was tightly hugging her torso. “I love you,” she whispered, resting her chin on Mina’s shoulder.

 

Mina stiffened slightly underneath Nayeon’s touch, but Nayeon didn’t give any thought to it. Perhaps she was scared she’d accidentally stab Nayeon with the knife she was using to cut up all the vegetables? Even if she did, Nayeon wouldn’t care. She would be able to heal herself. And it was _Mina._ Mina was so careful, she wouldn’t be able to even suffer a paper cut. That aside, Nayeon noticed Mina had relaxed – she probably thought about the same things Nayeon did. “I know you do,” Mina said softly, using her one free hand to stroke Nayeon’s cheek. “You don’t have to keep on telling me.”

 

“I like reminding you,” Nayeon breathed, closing her eyes and enjoying the soft touch of Mina’s hand on her face. “I want you to know that I love you, and I always will love you.” _I’ll always be with you, Minari. No matter what happens, we’ll always be together._

 

Mina stiffened again, and her hand dropped from Nayeon’s cheek. But that didn’t matter.

 

After all, she was just worried that she’d accidentally hurt Nayeon, right?

 


	5. Caution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mina hasn't been careful lately.

**_Two Months Later_ **

 

_Mina_

 

One month had passed.

 

The members of TWICE were still, officially, on vacation.

 

Tzuyu was still in Taiwan.

 

Momo and Sana were still in Japan to visit their respective families.

 

Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Dahyun were still in New York.

 

And Mina, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon were still left in the dorm.

 

Alone.

 

Well, not alone, really. Their managers would come to check up on them from time to time, mainly sadness manager, which was a bit confusing to the girls but they didn’t know that sadness manager knew about their problems. In a way, sadness manager felt sympathetic and also worried, as she had no idea what would happen when Nayeon found out about Mina and Chaeyoung’s secret relationship which was happening right under her nose.

 

But never mind that. There are more pressing matters to attend to.

 

Despite promising Chaeyoung that she’d take care of the...obstacle standing in the way of their relationship, Mina had done nothing. She hadn’t talked to Nayeon about it at all. Whenever she’d try bringing it up, one of two things would happen – either Nayeon would twist it into something that ended with her confessing her profound love and talking about how they would get married and live a long life (which, of course, made Mina feel even more guilty than she already did), or Mina would start to get terrified and change the subject. There was no way she was able to confront the elephant in the room.

 

However, as time went on, Mina’s guilt slowly shrunk into a small, almost non-existent ball, and her carelessness and love for Chaeyoung grew. This, as anyone could see, caused a number of problems. For one, Mina would kiss Chaeyoung in front of Nayeon. She was lucky Chaeyoung would always break away before Nayeon noticed. Another thing was Mina found herself talking about Chaeyoung way too much. It was always “Chaeyoung this” or “Chaeyoung that.” And this did cause Mina to only grow more guilty, but come on, it was _Chaeyoung!_ Who could resist talking about Chaeyoung? Her artistic skills, her music taste, her husky voice whenever she rapped, her charisma onstage, the cute little mole she had right underneath her mouth (if one wanted to be precise, it would be to the bottom left of her mouth, really)...

 

Honestly, anyone could resist talking about the younger girl.

 

Mina just hoped Nayeon was stupid and lovesick enough not to notice Mina’s habit of talking about Chaeyoung and nothing but Chaeyoung.

 

And, really, Mina didn’t want to think about that guilt she had stored deep down.

 

She didn’t want to think about Nayeon. She wanted to think about Chaeyoung. She wanted to think about Son Chaeyoung and no one else.

 

Apparently, Chaeyoung didn’t know that.

 

“Hey, Mina,” she whispered one night, when the two were curled up under the covers on Chaeyoung’s bed. Mina had told Nayeon she’d be sleeping in Chaeyoung’s room that night, to give her an excuse just to be with Chaeyoung. She didn’t regret it.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Tell Nayeon that you’re uncomfortable with her putting her hands where she shouldn’t, okay?”

 

Mina whirled around to face Chaeyoung; a rather uncomfortable position since Chaeyoung was clinging to Mina’s back and Mina was facing the outside. It was like an inside-out spooning position – no, it _was_ an inside-out spooning position. “Chaeyoungie? What brought this on?”

 

Even in the darkness, Mina could see Chaeyoung’s face grow bright red. Her face only grew more red as Mina realized why Chaeyoung had made the request, letting out a soft “ohhh” as it dawned on her. She grinned at Chaeyoung. _I didn’t know Chaeyoung could be like this...it only makes her cuter!_

 

“Don’t,” Chaeyoung said warningly, most likely realizing what Mina was going to say based on the expression on her face.

 

“Chaeyoungie’s jealous!” Mina teased, turning her whole body around so she was facing Chaeyoung completely. Chaeyoung shrunk into herself, curling up into a little ball. “Minaaa,” she whined, kicking Mina’s thigh softly. Mina laughed. “I never knew Chaeyoungie would get jealous because of me! Aww, are you jealous because Nayeon hugs me a lot and you don’t get to?”

 

Chaeyoung’s refusal to answer was all Mina needed. Her grin grew wider. “You’re so cute, Chaengie!” she squealed. Chaeyoung grumbled something Mina couldn’t hear, and turned around, not facing Mina, still curled up in her ball. “Minari, if you don’t stop teasing me, I won’t talk to you,” she declared stubbornly.

 

Mina’s grin melted into a warm smile. She reached around Chaeyoung, wrapping her arms around the younger in a hug, and pulled Chaeyoung to her chest. She set her chin on Chaeyoung’s shoulder, and whispered, “I’m sorry, Chaeyoungie, I’ll stop.”

 

Of course, just as Mina had known, Chaeyoung’s anger was broken. She uncurled herself and relaxed into Mina’s arms. Mina felt a rush of love for the younger. “I love you,” she murmured, entwining her hand with Chaeyoung’s. Chaeyoung briefly squeezed Mina’s hand, replying softly, “I love you, too.”

 

In that moment, Mina was reminded of why she had chosen Chaeyoung over Nayeon. Chaeyoung was able to make her smile. Chaeyoung was able to make her laugh. Chaeyoung was able to make Mina feel an abundance of emotions, most of which she had never felt with Nayeon. Chaeyoung was able to light those sparks deep inside Mina. Nayeon had never been able to. Mina still loved Nayeon, but as a friend. Nothing more. The only person right for her was Chaeyoung. And, upon thinking this, Mina felt a burst of courage. She wasn’t scared anymore. She’d confront Nayeon. She wouldn’t be careful anymore. She’d be openly affectionate towards Chaeyoung, and when Nayeon would ask, Mina would tell her the truth. Sure, she’d feel guilty, but it was the right thing to do. And she’d always have Chaeyoung at her side. Just knowing that was enough to make Mina want to get up and tell Nayeon immediately.

 

_Chaeyoung’s always going to be with me. And with her, I can do anything._

 

...Mina wasn’t aware. Nor was Chaeyoung.

 

That this whole time, sitting outside their door, listening to their conversation...

 

Was a certain Im Nayeon.

 

Who currently had tears streaming down her face.

 


	6. Part One; Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nayeon finally knows.

_Nayeon_

 

Nayeon couldn’t say she hadn’t suspected something.

 

Deep down, all this time, suspicion and doubt was brewing inside her. So she couldn’t say that she was very surprised at what was happening.

 

She wasn’t sure if Mina was aware of her carelessness. Every time they’d get together, for a walk or out for lunch or simply just to cuddle, the topic at hand would always be Son Chaeyoung.

 

Chaeyoung this, Chaeyoung that. Everything was about Chaeyoung. _Everything._

 

Nayeon thought Mina just felt bad for Chaeyoung. Being stuck with two older members, who were dating, must’ve been hard on Chaeyoung. All the members knew Chaeyoung was especially close with Dahyun, Tzuyu, and Jeongyeon, all of which were gone. So Nayeon couldn’t bear imagining what Chaeyoung must’ve been feeling. It wasn’t like they were awkward with each other, but Chaeyoung was more like the third wheel. Nayeon knew how that felt. (Jeongyeon and Momo would always constantly flirt in front of her, acting like she wasn’t there.)

 

But at one point, Nayeon could tell something was going on. She just chose to ignore it.

 

Mina would always spend more time with Chaeyoung. She’d be openly affectionate to Chaeyoung by initiating skinship. Once Nayeon thought she caught Mina kissing Chaeyoung, but dismissed it, thinking she was hallucinating due to lack of sleep.

 

But then there was the day where Mina blew off their lunch date in favor of going to a movie with Chaeyoung instead. Alone. Just her and Chaeyoung. Nayeon was hurt, but she loved Mina, and she respected Mina. So she let it go. She smiled and waved them off, acting like Jihyo, with a motherly “Have fun, you two!”

 

And then Mina would proceed to lock herself in Chaeyoung’s room with the younger girl. Nayeon would be watching a k-drama with Mina, and five minutes into the show Mina would excuse herself to go check on Chaeyoung. She’d go inside Chaeyoung’s room, the door would stay open...then, exactly five seconds later, slam went the door and click went the lock. For hours, they wouldn’t emerge. On multiple occasions, Nayeon would have to call them out. She never wanted to imagine what they would be doing.

 

Now there was this. The kiss. The sleeping together. Nayeon could tell that this had definitely been going on for a long time. Mina had loved Chaeyoung for a long time. And she had continued with the act of loving Nayeon instead.

 

...The strange thing was, though, that Mina loving Chaeyoung didn’t break Nayeon’s heart.

 

Mina’s _lies_ did.

 

Nayeon was unable to get angry at Mina for loving someone else. She, albeit sadly, accepted this fact and didn’t try to get revenge or change Mina’s mind – you can’t force someone to love you back. Mina had chosen the person she wanted to stay with forever, and there was nothing Nayeon could do about it. There was no point getting all upset just because of this.

 

But she was deeply hurt at Mina’s lies. At the lack of honesty. Mina didn’t trust Nayeon. If she did, she would’ve told Nayeon! Sure, Nayeon knew that at first, it must’ve been frightening for Mina to try and tackle it; she probably was scared thinking about how Nayeon would react. But, if the relationship had been going on for the amount of time Nayeon thought it had been, then it had been just about three months, which was more than enough time! By now, if Mina really trusted Nayeon, she would’ve said something about it. She would’ve confessed to Nayeon. But no, that was not what she did.

 

It would take several days, maybe two weeks at the most, for Nayeon to forgive Mina. After all, they had been together – if she counted trainee years – for just about four years. They had known each other for just about four years. Four years was enough, wasn’t it? It was enough for trust to build up, right? Nayeon knew Mina was naturally cold and inverted, not outgoing like Nayeon herself, but if four years was enough for Mina to fall head over heels for Chaeyoung, then why wasn’t it enough for her to trust Nayeon?

 

Nayeon could only shake her head in bewilderment and sadness. She thought Mina knew better. Apparently not.

 

And despite all this.

 

What was really pathetic?

 

Nayeon still – she _still_ – loved Mina.

 

Myoui Mina’s heart belonged to Son Chaeyoung. But Im Nayeon’s heart still belonged to Myoui Mina.

 

Nayeon was painfully aware that now, it was her job to cope.

 

But god, would it hurt.

 

It would hurt Nayeon so much.


	7. Part Two; Coping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> now that nayeon knows, she needs to find a way to cope.  
> despite how ridiculous it will be.

_Nayeon_

 

Needless to say, it was untolerable for Nayeon to spend time around Mina and Chaeyoung anymore.

 

Individually, it was fine. Nayeon had no problem being with just Mina; it was really like a guilty pleasure. Despite the fact that she knew she shouldn’t be trying to capture Mina’s heart once again, since it already belonged to Chaeyoung, she still tried. She still initiated skinship, still kissed Mina, still slept in the same bed as her whenever she could. She still tried to be the best for Mina.

 

Guilty pleasure, indeed.

 

And as for Chaeyoung, Nayeon really didn’t mind being with just her, either. The way Chaeyoung acted around Nayeon, it was almost as if she was guilty for taking Mina away from Nayeon. Instead of trying to be funny (and ending up making Nayeon cringe) and taking after Jeongyeon, she acted more mature. More sober. Instead of mischievious grins and deep, hearty laughs, Chaeyoung was all soft smiles and quiet, short bursts of laughter. Nayeon felt bad whenever she admitted it to herself, but she liked this new Chaeyoung better.

 

But Mina and Chaeyoung together? That was a whole different story altogether.

 

Occasionally, Nayeon would be subject to an unfortunate outing with the other two. Whether it was going to the movies, a café, a restaurant, or simply the library (Mina checked out books every other day and sometimes brought Chaeyoung and Nayeon with her), Nayeon would be forced to stay with the other two and witness their not-so-discreet cuddling and flirting. Of course, she’d pretend to ignore it, but it broke her heart every single time she saw it happen. Thus, she tried to avoid going out with the two, and let them go by themselves, even though she only grew more sad imagining the things they’d do.

 

Two girls madly, hopelessly in love.

 

Wasn’t that what Mina and Nayeon had used to be?

 

Nayeon wanted nothing more at this point than for the other members to return.

 

She wanted to be distracted by Sana, Tzuyu, and Dahyun’s antics. She wanted to talk with Jeongyeon. She wanted to sleep beside Momo and hug her tight to her chest, so she’d be comforted by the thought of someone else by her side. She wanted to go out on another “date” with Jihyo.

 

Anything to save her from this pain and misery that wracked her whole body daily.

 

Even now, as Nayeon sat, alone, in her room, with Mina and Chaeyoung at some café somewhere, tears were streaming down her face. She couldn’t stop the image of Mina feeding Chaeyoung lovingly from entering her head. The way Mina’s eyes would sparkle when they landed on Chaeyoung, the way the corners of her mouth would curl up and her lips would part to reveal that adorable gummy smile when she talked to Chaeyoung, the blush that spread across her face when she was touching Chaeyoung...

 

Why Nayeon?

 

She couldn’t tolerate it.

 

**To: Momoring & Jeongyeon Oppa**

**help me**

 

One text was all it took.

 

Two seconds later, Nayeon’s phone started to buzz.

 

With a shaking hand, she picked it up, raising it to her ear. “H-hello?” she said, managing to choke out the words.

 

“Nayeon?”

 

Tears only continued to spill down Nayeon’s cheeks when those familiar, comforting voices filled her ear.

 

“Geez, Nayeon, you crying?” Jeongyeon asked, her voice exasperated and worried. Momo made a noise resembling the sound Mina made when she was confused – “Eh?”–

and yelled, “Nabongs, don’t cry! Otherwise I won’t come back to you!”

 

A typical group call.

 

Who knew it would be the source of all of Nayeon’s emotions? Her happiness, her sadness, her anger?

 

Everything poured out.

 

Nayeon was glad Jeongyeon and Momo stayed quiet as she rattled off the events that had happened recently to them. They were dead silent, absorbing all the information Nayeon was feeding them. (At least, Jeongyeon was. Nayeon wasn’t so sure about Momo.) And

Nayeon was glad they wouldn’t interrupt her with “Are you okay?” whenever she paused to let herself get over the harder sobbing that would inevitably take over her words if she didn’t stop.

 

God, she missed them.

 

“So...Mina’s practically dating Chaeyoung now,” Jeongyeon mumbled. There was a certain quality to her voice that made Nayeon suspect she wasn’t surprised.

 

Nayeon was correct.

 

She managed to catch Jeongyeon’s quickly muttered “Thought so,” and snapped, “What do you mean, you thought so?”

 

“I thought so too!” Momo chimed, quickly going silent as soon as Nayeon growled into the speaker.

 

God, she wished they wouldn’t come back.

 

“Nayeon,  you know we text Chaeyoung a lot,” Jeongyeon said gently, no doubt sensing the outburst of rage that would soon come from Nayeon unless she was consoled somehow. “Not so much Mina, but you know that we all text Chaeyoung daily. And she usually gives us the whole gist of things.”

 

“Basically, you’ve all known about this and you never bothered to say anything to me,” Nayeon accused, feeling betrayed. Could it really get any worse?

 

“It’s not like I didn’t want to hear your side of the story!” Momo blurted out, quickly correcting herself. “I mean, it’s not like _we_ didn’t want to hear your side of the story.”

 

“Good going, Momo,” Jeongyeon said sarcastically.

 

No one spoke after that. The silence between all of them was occasionally broken by coughs (Jeongyeon) and small sniffles (Nayeon), and the rare sneeze (Momo), but other than that, words did not fill the empty space that was present. Nayeon knew Jeongyeon and Momo had chosen their sides, and felt guilty for doing so. As a result, they were reluctant to say anything on the matter, despite how much they wished to. The anger that had filled Nayeon before melted, replaced by a wave of love for the two younger girls. They were just and fair, and trusted Nayeon enough to make her own decision on the matter.

 

God, she really missed them now.

 

“Alright, I know you guys don’t wanna talk to me,” Nayeon said good-naturedly, grinning as Momo and Jeongyeon started to protest. “What? No! It’s not like that!”

“Nabongs, don’t be like that!” _They’re such idiots._

 

“Goodbye,” Nayeon said curtly, relishing in the way she was teasing them – they didn’t even know. Without another word, Nayeon hung up, then collapsed on her bed, unable to hold in her laughter any longer. She let it all out, a flood of laughter from where there had been a flood of tears. Sunshine, where there had been rain.

 

Happiness, but with lingering sadness.

 

The interactions gave her an idea.

 

Nayeon sat up straight, her eyes widening as she realized how smart the idea was.

 

_I’m a genius._

 

Sure, she wasn’t exactly sure if it would help her cope with the whole Mina and Chaeyoung thing. There was a chance it’d only make her feel worse.

 

But at the same time, she was eager to try.

 

_Of course._

 

If ignoring and mulling over it didn’t help, would...

 

Would teasing help?

 

After all, Nayeon always teased her fellow members. Laughter was the best medicine. And hopefully, that would remain true in this case.

 

Perhaps she would be able to get over it.

 

Perhaps she would be able to be happy for them.

 

Perhaps.

 

Nayeon’s grin only grew wider as she grabbed her phone and sent a quick text to Mina.

 

_Guess what? I finally found out._

 

_I found out that Mina’s been Chaeting._

 

_And I’ll never let them forget it._

 

...God, Nayeon was such a genius.


	8. Part Three; Realization by CY & MN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nayeon knows.  
> now mina and chaeyoung know about nayeon.

**A week later.**

 

_Chaeyoung_

 

“Do you think Nayeon’s been acting...weird these days?”

 

Chaeyoung looked up from her phone, with which she had been busily texting Jeongyeon. The other members were making preparations to return to the dorm, and Jeongyeon was in charge of making sure everything was fine, so of course Chaeyoung would be relaying any news and information to the older girl. But any lingering thoughts of this matter vanished when Chaeyoung saw Mina’s expression.

 

Worry.

 

It had been quite a while since Chaeyoung saw that once familiar look on Mina’s face. Ever since then, Mina had been all sunshine and rainbows, never stopping to worry over the smallest thing, like she would before. All smiles and kisses, laughs and hugs, and Mina had become talkative. _Talkative!_ Of all things, she _talked_ more!

 

And now she was worried again?

 

Taking a deep breath, Chaeyoung gestured for Mina to sit beside her. Mina did so, quietly shutting the door behind her and seating herself next to Chaeyoung. Gently, Chaeyoung threw a hand around Mina’s shoulders and pulled her closer to herself, so that Mina’s head would be resting on Chaeyoung’s shoulder. “What’s happening?” she asked, rubbing Mina’s arm to calm her down.

 

Mina sighed. “It’s Nayeon. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but she’s been acting different recently.” She let out another deep sigh and straightened, entwining Chaeyoung’s hand in hers as soon as the other’s arm fell off of Mina’s shoulders. “I think she knows.”

 

Chaeyoung stifled the urge to say, _Well, duh._ At this point, even a blind man could see that there was something going on between Chaeyoung and Mina. They had completely given up on hiding it from Nayeon, and now were just waiting for the oldest member to confront them. They weren’t worried. Mina wasn’t worried.

 

Or so Chaeyoung thought.

 

“What else would you expect out of kissing me right in front of her?” Chaeyoung said, only half-joking. Immediately, she knew she had made a mistake saying that, as Mina’s eyes started to become clear and glossy, and her nose wrinkled up. Chaeyoung backtracked quickly. “I was just kidding, Minari! Don’t get so offended. But you have to admit, though,” she added, looking at Mina with what she hoped was a serious expression. “We both knew this was coming sooner or later. Nayeon would eventually know, and if you’re right, well then, here we have it.”

 

“I didn’t think she’d find out so quickly, though,” Mina whispered, facing the ground. Chaeyoung could only stare at Mina incrediously. _Really? Geez, Mina. Issues much?_

 

Mina was just extremely worried, was all. She had no idea how Nayeon would really feel, and Mina hated hurting other people. After silently berating herself for insulting Mina, Chaeyoung turned back to the other girl, smiling reassuringly. “Trust me, Mina. Nayeon isn’t going to be hurt, and if she will be, she won’t let on to it. And she’ll get over it soon. Don’t beat yourself up over her, you made your decision. You can’t change it.”

 

“Right,” Mina sniffed, managing a small smile of her own. Chaeyoung beamed. _Progress._ “Now, what did you mean by she’s acting weird?”

 

Mina ran her tongue over her lips – a habit Chaeyoung found oddly seductive. Thoughts that could only be described as “not decent for anyone below the age of 18” ran through her mind every time she saw Mina do it. But now was not the time. She pushed the thoughts away and listened to Mina.

 

“I mean...she’s more...loose, I guess? Relaxed? Almost as if she knows what’s going on and she’s gotten over it. She even, uh, teases me sometimes, saying that she thinks I’ve been...chaeting....”

 

Chaeyoung rose an eyebrow. “Chaeting?”

 

“Yes, chaeting,” Mina affirmed. Chaeyoung wanted to burst out in laughter at the ridiculous term – it seemed like Nayeon had indeed found out – but Mina looked like she wanted to cry. “She teases me a lot about you now. And she doesn’t seem hurt, or jealous, or anything like that. She just...it’s weird.”

 

“Then she’s found out,” Chaeyoung said simply. Yes, Nayeon knew. There was no hiding anything from her. And the best part was that Nayeon probably didn’t care either. If she was hurt – like Chaeyoung had said before – then she had gotten over it. Everything was fine.

 

Except the teasing.

 

Chaeyoung knew how far Nayeon could go with teasing. She didn’t prank people as much as Jeongyeon liked to do, but when Nayeon started teasing someone, it wouldn’t end for _days._ And sometimes (more like usually) ended up in someone’s feelings getting quietly hurt. They wouldn’t let it show, but they’d be hurt. Chaeyoung could say this from experience; after she had illegally streamed Carol, Nayeon wouldn’t let her hear the end of it. Every single day, Chaeyoung would have to go through endless teasing about how she might be gay. And Chaeyoung turned out to be gay. But at the time, it ended in misery for the young girl.

 

So, the teasing was all they had to deal with.

 

And Mina wasn’t alone, for she had Chaeyoung, who could combat Nayeon with things of her own.

 

She had taken notice to how often Nayeon would call Momo, and how often Momo would mention Nayeon.

 

_Do your worst, Nayeon._

 

_Do your worst._


	9. Part Four; Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nayeon and michaeng strike.

_Mina_

 

Mina couldn’t tease. She was completely incapable of doing so.

 

And as a result, she was therefore banned from the war between MiChaeng and Nayeon.

 

(Making it the war between Chaeyoung and Nayeon, with Mina as a bystander.)

 

But the problem was, Mina was usually the target of Nayeon’s teasing. Chaeyoung teased Nayeon, Nayeon – unfazed – teased Mina, Mina – fazed – relayed it back to Chaeyoung, and the cycle would begin again.

 

It was absolutely unbearable.

 

Yet what other option did Mina have?

 

Really, all she could do was take part in the teasing, from time to time, or sit back and watch.

 

Honestly, the only thing holding Mina back from stopping all of it was the fact that all of them were at ease now. Nayeon was not offended, nor was Chaeyoung. (Mina wasn’t, either; she was busy swimming in her own guilt at cheating on Nayeon. Or rather, _chae_ ting.)

 

Mina dragged herself out of bed after, for the nth time that week, pondering over these facts. She spared a quick glance at Nayeon’s bed; it was empty. It was already nine a.m., of course Nayeon would be up. She got up as early as six to prepare for her opponent.

 

Speaking of which.

 

Mina made a quick detour to the maknaes’ room before heading down to the kitchen. Just as she predicted, Chaeyoung was fast asleep, half of her head sticking out of her blanket. She was lying on her side, her hair ruffled even though it was tied. (Recently, Chaeyoung had gotten a haircut, then had proceeded to get extensions, not liking her haircut because of the way the stylist and managers would scold her.) A stray curl of hair was resting on her cheek. Gently, Mina tucked it behind Chaeyoung’s ear, carefully as to not wake the younger up. Despite her efforts, the second Mina removed her hand, Chaeyoung stirred, and turned to face Mina. Immediately, a warm smile spread across her face. “Good morning,” she murmured, reaching up to caress Mina’s cheek. “You have no idea how amazing it feels to wake up and see the most beautiful person you’ve ever known first thing in the morning.”

 

Mina blushed, averting her eyes. She couldn’t do anything, though, when Chaeyoung slowly got to her feet and kissed Mina softly. “Seriously,” she said, her lips curving against Mina’s; an indication that she was smiling. “It’s the best thing ever.” She stepped back, sighing in pleasure and happiness. “What did I do to deserve you? How did we ever meet?”

 

“It all started with a hi and a hello,” Mina replied, recalling the day they first met as trainees, when Chaeyoung greeted Mina and Mina politely greeted her back. “And if it’s the best thing ever, then you should wake me up tomorrow.”

 

Chaeyoung shook her head fiercely, protesting. Mina didn’t miss the way her face flushed, though. “No thanks. You wake up too early. I need my sleep.”

 

“Sure you do,” Mina muttered, rolling her eyes. She laughed as Chaeyoung shot her a dirty look, the two walking side-by-side out into the hallway and down to the kitchen. “Screw you, Myoui. You’re so mean!”

 

“Aww, are you like TT now?” Mina teased. (Was she really incapable of teasing? Not when it came to Chaeyoung.) Chaeyoung pouted and made the TT gesture, then grinned and entered the kitchen. “By the way, where’s Nayeon? Is she still sleeping?”

 

“No, I’m right here.” Mina turned around, only to confirm that Nayeon was there – and she was, sitting on the couch with a cup full of coffee in her hands. Nayeon gave Mina a grin, and Mina couldn’t help but to return it. “You’re already awake, Nayeon?”

 

“Nayeon _unnie,_ ” Nayeon corrected, standing up and making her way to the kitchen, where Chaeyoung was rummaging in the cabinets and the refridgerator. “Everyone else dropped honorifics, but I want you to keep them.”

 

“Is there anything to eat?” Chaeyoung quickly butted in, as to save Mina from an awkward conversation. Mina smiled, appreciating the gesture, as Nayeon replied. “Well...there’s cereal, but I bet you’d love to eat something else.”

 

“What?” Chaeyoung asked curiously, stopping in her rummaging and turning to face Nayeon. Mina did the same, walking over to stand beside Chaeyoung. She knew what was coming, though; a bad joke. Probably a dirty one. That’s all Nayeon did anymore, really.

 

“P, U, S, S, Y,” Nayeon smirked. “You know. Possible rejection. Unrequited love. Seeing her with someone else. Sobbing in your room. Your feelings hurt.”

 

Mina internally sighed. A Nayeon classic when it came to tease wars. Dirty yet hurtful. Nayeon had obviously known what Chaeyoung was going through when Mina and Nayeon were dating. Either that, or she had figured it out.

 

It didn’t seem to faze Chaeyoung, as she looked fed up. “Yes, of course, I love eating pussy,” she snapped. “I eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Seriously, Nayeon. What is there?”

 

Mina stifled a laugh – god knows how the other members would’ve reacted, Jeongyeon probably would’ve ruffled Chaeyoung’s hair and praised her for this ‘original comedy’ while the others would just howl in laughter – but Nayeon let it out, a short burst of laughter before she cut it off and matched Chaeyoung’s seriousness. “Cereal. Coffee. In the third cabinet to the left.”

 

Chaeyoung curtly thanked Nayeon and moved to the third cabinet, pulling out a box of cereal and a container full of ground coffee beans. She turned to Mina, holding both items up. “Which one?”

 

Mina wordlessly pointed to the container, and Chaeyoung nodded, returning the box of cereal to the cabinet. “I’ll just have whatever you’re having,” she said, pouring the ground coffee beans into their coffee machine. “We can share from one cup,” she added, winking at Mina.

 

“Wh-what? How would that even w-work?” Mina spluttered, once again sent into a fluster. Chaeyoung winked again, then immediately gestured towards Nayeon. Mina turned to face Nayeon, who was – thankfully – on the phone with...with Jihyo, it seemed. The older girl noticed Mina and Chaeyoung watching and smiled pleasantly at them, handing the phone over. “Jihyo would like to speak to you.”

 

Exchanging a worried glance with Chaeyoung, Mina took the phone and put it on speaker mode, tentatively greeting Jihyo. “Hi, Jihyo unnie.”

 

“Are you two insane?” Jihyo yelled. Mina quickly turned speaker mode off and held the phone up to her ear, glancing at Chaeyoung – who had flinched and now was shuddering – and at Nayeon, who was back in her spot on the couch, whistling loudly. “What do you mean, insane?” Mina whispered, hoping to dear god Jihyo wouldn’t scream again, because this time it would rupture Mina’s eardrums.

 

Jihyo screamed again.

 

“You two have a death wish, don’t you?” _Good old Jihyo,_ Mina thought exasperatedly, but she didn’t speak up. Jihyo rattled on. “I get that you and Chaeyoung are dating, I get that you’re guilty for chaeting on Nayeon –”

 

“Not you too, unnie!” Mina groaned. Jihyo chuckled, then returned to her scolding tone. “You could’ve apologized and settled it the old way! Instead of accepting Nayeon’s teasing challenge, or whatever it is! There’s no way you’ll get out of this unhurt!”

 

Mina sighed. “We know. Where are you and the others?”

 

“Staying in a hotel in Japan,” Jihyo promptly replied. “I’m the only one in the hotel right now, the others went out for breakfast. We’re flying back in an hour or two. Listen, Mina, you and Chaeyoung have just about four hours to handle Nayeon. I promise, once we’ll get there, we’ll handle it. And one more thing!” Mina could just hear the warm smile Jihyo was no doubtedly sporting at that point. “I support you and Chaeyoungie together. None of us have any problems with it. We’re just worried for Nayeon. She recovered and she’s not as sad anymore, but...without Jeongyeon and Momo to handle her, god knows what she’ll do. Hang in there, okay?”

 

“Alright,” Mina said, warmth coursing through her veins. Jihyo certainly knew how to make someone feel better. “Bye, then.” She hung up, and handed the phone back to Nayeon. “Thanks.”

 

“It’s cool,” Nayeon grinned. “Shall we go out somewhere after this?”

 

Mina felt a hand on her back. She slightly turned and saw Chaeyoung standing beside her, holding a cup of coffee. Silently, she handed it to Mina, who took it, and, in two brisk strides, headed over to Nayeon. “Where?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe the library,” Nayeon shrugged, still smiling that sick smile of hers. Chaeyoung’s eyes narrowed, and she nodded. “Fine. Three hours for the library, then we’re back.” She whirled around and stormed off to her room, gesturing for Mina to follow. Mina did, but not before she heard Nayeon’s whisper:

 

“Three hours for our war. And I’ll win.”

 

...Was it just Mina, or had this gotten more serious than it originally was?

 

Now all they could do was hang in there until the other members came back.

 

And the chances of them surviving until then?

 

Extremely low.


	10. Let The War Commence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thus, the war of the century begins.

_Nayeon_

 

There were moans coming from behind the history section, all the way in the back of the library, and Nayeon hoped they weren’t coming from her favorite two girls.

 

Just an hour ago, Mina, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon had walked down to the local library after getting ready – and after a short session of retorts and teases. It wasn’t like the walk wasn’t peppered with those same insults, because it _was_. However, it was mainly between Chaeyoung and Nayeon. Both girls didn’t want to include Mina in the war. Though, to Nayeon, that would be unfair.

 

If the war was between MiChaeng and Im Nayeon, then it was between MiChaeng and Im Nayeon. Not Son Chaeyoung and Im Nayeon. Granted, Nayeon would take care to tone down the intensity of her teasing when it came to Mina; the younger girl was very sensitive, after all, but Nayeon would definitely include her in it. If Nayeon was to win this war, if she was going to go to great lengths to help herself heal from the shock and sadness, then she’d do it right.

 

Starting in the library.

 

The minute they had entered, Mina and Chaeyoung immediately bolted towards the history section, leaving Nayeon alone to roam in the adult fiction shelves. Nayeon, the rather gullible young woman she is, thought nothing of this. Lately, both Mina and Chaeyoung had been taking an interest in history. So what if the history section was located right at the back of the library, where it was dark and unpopulated? It was fine.

 

Or so Nayeon thought.

 

She decided to give them a few minutes to recover and plan their next move. So, while waiting, she grabbed a book and settled down in a chair, flipping through the novel. Only seconds afterwards, though, she heard quite a strange sound from the area Mina and Chaeyoung had retreated to.

 

 _Moaning isn’t part of the agenda,_ Nayeon thought, getting up and quickly putting the book back in its place. Time was up. Technically, it wasn’t, but hearing _moaning,_ of all things, had indeed frightened Nayeon. She crept over to the history section, peeked behind the shelves...

 

“This is a library, not your bedroom.”

 

Mina and Chaeyoung jumped away from each other, their eyes widened. Nayeon stepped out from her hiding place, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. Of course. So the two were kissing. What better thing to do in a library? _They must have so much sexual tension between them,_ Nayeon mused, looking upon the two younger girls. “The definition of a library, if you will, is not ‘a place where you eat your girlfriend’s face,’” she continued, pretending to examine her fingernails. With a quick glance at Mina and Chaeyoung’s faces, she knew she had won this match – Mina’s face was bright red, whereas Chaeyoung was stammering and struggling for words. Nayeon one, MiChaeng zero.

 

“And what were you doing?” Chaeyoung retorted – or at least, tried to. “Listening to us?”

 

Nayeon almost choked. Chaeyoung’s retort had backfired on her. “What could I do? Your moans were so loud, I bet everyone in America could hear it.” She shook her head, dismissing the topic. “That aside. Have you found any books on kissing more quietly – I mean, history?”

 

Nayeon three, MiChaeng zero.

 

“I found some,” Mina said softly, bending over and rummaging in her bag. She pulled out three books on the Korean War and handed them to Nayeon, her fingers brushing Nayeon’s hand in the process. Nayeon would be lying if she said her breath hadn’t hitched at that small touch – she could only think of Mina and herself _before_ – but the moment was over in an instant, and Mina’s slender, gentle fingers were entwined in Chaeyoung’s.

 

They weren’t even trying to hide it.

 

Two thoughts crossed Nayeon’s mind for a few seconds. She was losing. And she wanted Jeongyeon and Momo back.

 

(Mainly Jeongyeon.)

 

The thoughts disappeared as fast as they had came, and Nayeon was even more determined to win this fight. To win this war. Because god knew it would do everything for her.

 

At least she wouldn’t have to spend her days in her bed, crying.

 

And there were just a few hours until the others came.

 

Just a few hours for Nayeon to continue. Then, she’d be allowed to stop.

 

Besides. This was, admittedly, fun. Very fun.

 

“Well, well,” Nayeon murmured, examining the books. “Looks like you _were_ finding books to read. Tell me something – did you even get around to reading them? Or were you just too sexually frustrated?”

 

Nayeon four, MiChaeng – wait for it – zero.

 

When would this get any more interesting?

 

“Like you were with Mina?” Chaeyoung said, a challenge in her voice. “All you two did was either cling to each other or do who knows what locked in your room! And, if I recall correctly, I remember Jihyo saying she’d hear suggestive sounds coming from you two early in the morning.”

 

Silence.

 

Nayeon snuck a glance at Mina, whose face was terribly red. _Bad, bad idea,_ she thought, wanting to scold Chaeyoung for taking a jab at her girlfriend as well. Nayeon would never –

 

Nayeon wasn’t going to think about that.

 

But, she had to admit, that was a good one coming from Chaeyoung. MiChaeng had finally won a point.

 

There was no way they’d be able to catch up, though.

 

“At least I didn’t try to initiate a full-blown kissing section in the library, of all places,” Nayeon snorted, rolling her eyes. “And the suggestive sounds probably weren’t as bad as the ones I just heard. I think I need to pour bleach or something into my ears.”

 

“Go ahead,” Chaeyoung muttered. “Through your eyes, too. Oh, and maybe drink some, your teeth might become normal for once. You won’t have those hideous bunny teeth.”

 

Well, that definitely struck a chord.

 

It seemed like Chaeyoung was out for blood.

 

Nayeon would be, too.

 

“I think you should try some, instead of me,” Nayeon said calmly. “At least you won’t have your completely ruined crooked teeth. You’re in high school, about to graduate, and you haven’t gotten braces. That’s pathetic, isn’t it? At least perhaps you won’t be as ugly.” She flashed a smile – her lips closed.

 

Based on the way Mina stared at her in concern, she knew Mina had took note of it.

 

Chaeyoung swallowed visibly, her fists clenching. She was definitely angry. But then again, who was she to get angry, when she had made fun of something she knew was a sensitive topic to Nayeon?

 

_You reap what you sow._

 

“Anyways, I’ll leave you two up to your antics, now,” Nayeon said, still smiling. “We have two hours left. Make the most of it!” She leaned in, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Though I’d advise you, eating each other’s faces is not a good way to spend two hours. Don’t want your lips to be swollen, now, especially since the other girls will be at home when we go back. I don’t want to have to explain.” Whistling, she turned around and headed back to her original location, catching Chaeyoung’s grumble:

 

“Like you wouldn’t be in my position right now if Mina hadn’t broke up with you.”

 

Certainly, Nayeon couldn’t walk away from _that_!

 

“Right, you reminded me,” she said without turning around. “Mina hasn’t broken up with me yet, however, we may as well say she has, am I right? Considering she spends all her time with a midget who’s still going through puberty.”

 

“At least spending time with a midget who’s still going through puberty is better than spending time with a girl who has bunny teeth and can’t even maintain a stable voice while singing on stage,” Chaeyoung promptly replied.

 

It would be a lie to say Nayeon wasn’t angry.

 

“Speaking of that,” she said slowly, finally turning around to meet Chaeyoung’s eyes. She briefly looked over at Mina, who was pale with fright, and ignored her – Chaeyoung really had gone too far. “I’ve been thinking. Why would Mina date this girl, two years younger than her, a underrated, even hated adolescent, who doesn’t get any lines and even when she does, can’t sing them properly? Mina, in my opinion, deserves the best, and you by far are the worst.”

 

“If I’m the worst, then what does that make you?” Chaeyoung snarled. “A good-for-nothing main vocalist. An ugly main vocalist. You try too hard. At least I’m honest when I mess up, and I don’t try too hard to make jokes that aren’t even funny.”

 

“You’re called no jam for a reason,” Nayeon retorted. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mina starting to flail about, but there was no way she’d be able to stop this. It was too late. “No one likes you or your jokes. I can make people laugh with my own bad jokes. Yours are terrible, and so is your delivery. You always have to spend five minutes wracking your brain for a good comeback, and once you have it, it’s too late. Everytime I see you talking with Mina, there’s always this awkward silence between you at one point. Why date her if you can’t even keep up a normal conversation?”

 

“Coming from the one who couldn’t even figure out what was wrong with her girlfriend’s behavior,” Chaeyoung said snidely. “Oh, I’m sorry – I mean, _former_ girlfriend’s behavior.”

 

“Because you were too busy trying to show off with your pathetic excuses for skills,” Nayeon hissed. “She probably just felt pitiful for your sorry self.”

 

In just one stride, Chaeyoung was nose-to-nose with Nayeon. “You want to know why Mina broke up with you?” she seethed, contempt pulsing in every word.

 

“Tell me a reason I don’t know,” Nayeon breathed, glaring right into Chaeyoung’s eyes. “Is it because she felt sorry for you? I already know that reason.”

 

“No, that’s quite far from the truth,” Chaeyoung whispered, her voice reaching a dangerous low. “It’s because you’re so full of yourself. You latch onto someone who shows the slightest bit of affection for you and fill up their ears with your monologues about how great you are. And when they leave, you’re desperate for them to come back. You want to cling to them like a leech. You want to keep them around forever. You live in denial. You can’t face the truth that _no one_ wants to be around you. Mina was getting tired of you, and you couldn’t see it. No, you saw it, but you ignored it. You want to know why Mina broke up with you? Because you’re a selfish, arrogant, ignorant piece of ugly –”

 

“Chaeyoung, shut up.”

 

Those three words rang all around them, like a bell in an empty chamber. Chaeyoung stepped back, her eyes wide.

 

And there stood Mina, her eyes blazing with anger.

 

“We’re going home, right now,” she ordered, her voice even more lower and malice filled than Chaeyoung’s was. “Both of you will stay quiet, and if I hear any of you even dare to speak up, I’ll have a word with Jihyo. You won’t be staying in the dorm anymore, much less Korea. Get going.”

 

Stunned into silence, Chaeyoung started ahead, Nayeon following. She was stupefied. She hadn’t expected this from Mina, who never snapped, not once. The pressure must’ve got to her, Nayeon figured. Her heated anger had frozen under Mina’s icy gaze – and her words, which practically had icicles dripping from them. She wanted to get away from the furious young woman as quickly as possible, but before she could leave the library and put a reasonable amount of distance between her, Chaeyoung, and Mina, she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard a whisper:

 

“I want to talk to you at the dorm.”

 

With that, Mina brushed past her, walking up ahead and making no effort to catch up with Chaeyoung.

 

Nayeon stared after her.

 

A heavy lump of dread had formed at the pit of her stomach.

 

Whatever Mina wanted to talk about...

 

...it wouldn’t be good.


	11. Return and (more) Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everything finally starts to clear up.

_Nayeon_

 

“So, you’re finally back, are you?”

 

Nayeon paused. Standing in front of the door to their dorm was a young woman with long dark brown hair, her bangs swept to the side. She was wearing a black hoodie and skinny jeans, her feet bare. Her arms were crossed.

 

Despite the obvious exhaustion of this woman – indicated by the slight dullness in her eyes that accompanied the usual sparkle and her clothing – there was no doubt.

 

This was Park Jihyo.

 

Which meant all the other members had returned as well. An hour before scheduled.

 

“You’re early,” Nayeon commented, not ignoring how Chaeyoung and Mina brushed past Jihyo and entered the dorm. Jihyo rolled her eyes. “Yes, well, we came four hours ago but didn’t want to ruin your...quality time. Speaking of which.” She lowered her voice to what she probably thought was a whisper, but was really just a normal speaking voice. “What’s going on?”

 

“Well, right now I have to go talk with Mina before she strangles me,” Nayeon said curtly. “So if you’ll excuse me.” She gave a tight-lipped smile to Jihyo before quickly walking into the dorm. Mina was nowhere to be found, so she was most likely in their room. The other members were gathered in the living room, mingling and making small talk. Chaeyoung was among them.

 

_Whatever. It’s best if I go talk to Mina, right now._

 

Nayeon hurried to her room, shutting the door behind her. As expected, Mina was sitting on her bed, next to Nayeon’s. Her heart twinged as she remembered Mina smiling sweetly at her one night, telling her softly how she liked it when Nayeon rolled over from her own bed to Mina’s.

 

That was in the past. Chaeyoung was right, Nayeon _was_ living in denial. She had to let go.

 

(She had a feeling Mina was going to talk about exactly this.)

 

Mina wasted no time. The minute Nayeon sat down, Mina opened her mouth and started talking, her words flowing at a fast pace but still understandable. “Nayeon, I’ll be honest with you. That shouldn’t have gone as far as it did. I understand why you started the whole...war in the first place, but really, I think it shouldn’t have gotten to the point where Chaeyoung got angry. Speaking of Chaeyoung.” She took a deep breath and barreled on. “I want to apologize on her behalf. I know for sure she didn’t mean any of the things she said. She really admires you, Nayeon. She probably just didn’t want to be outdone in the whole insult thing, and made up everything on the spot. And all of that nonsense she spouted about me and you, well, she has no idea what I went through and what I felt while being with you, so I can assure you that it was nothing but lies. I’ve never really told her anything about that, other than the obvious.”

 

Obvious being Mina stopped liking Nayeon.

 

That, of course, went without saying.

 

“Well,” Nayeon spoke up, after a few seconds of silence. “Did you at least _enjoy_ being with me?”

 

Mina gave her a small smile. “Yes. I did.” She took another deep breath before continuing. “Anyways. Chaeyoung probably regrets everything now. And I do, too.”

 

Nayeon raised an eyebrow.

 

“I’m sorry for what I did,” Mina blurted out, her eyes downcast. “If I had told you everything, if I had properly, um, broke up with you, none of this would’ve happened in the first place. It’s completely my fault. Everything.”

 

Though Nayeon agreed with Mina’s first couple statements – she was still haunted by the pain and the anger – she disagreed with it being Mina’s fault.

 

And since Mina was being honest, then why shouldn’t Nayeon?

 

“So I was hurt when you did that,” Nayeon informed her. “Very hurt. But! You were guilty. I understand. And you really aren’t the type to deal with these sort of situations. Don’t deny it, because you and I both know it’s true. However. It’s not completely your fault, is it?”

 

“...No,” Mina said quietly. Nayeon grinned. “Right. It’s mine. It’s yours. And, as little as a part she had in it, it’s also Chaeyoung’s. We all share it.” Finishing up, she got ready to leave, but the look on Mina’s face told Nayeon there was something else unsaid.

 

She stayed and waited.

 

“The whole battle thing was for you to cope,” Mina sighed.

 

That caught Nayeon off guard.

 

_How did she know?_

 

“And yes, we all have our different ways of coping,”  Mina continued, not noticing the look on Nayeon’s face. “But seriously. Being the eldest, it’s your job to take care of everything. You should know which battles to fight and which battles to leave, and this was one you should’ve left. Or at least stopped halfway. Then again, it was just coping, so I’ll let it pass.”

 

“You know what, I resign from my spot as eldest,” Nayeon joked, still taken aback by Mina’s inquisitiveness.  “You can take over now. Geez, Mina, what’s gotten into you?”

 

“I learned it from the best.” Mina smiled again, more shyly this time, and in a sudden move, leaned towards Nayeon and kissed her forehead.

 

(Needless to say, Nayeon felt like collapsing. The shock was too great for her.)

 

Mina pulled away, her face only slightly tinged with red. _Of course it would be,_ Nayeon silently scolded herself. _Don’t overthink._ “I still love you a lot, Nayeon,” she murmured, her smile widening into a gummier one. “I always will. And I’m sure I’m not the only one.”

 

If Nayeon was shocked before, then she was now, especially by those last few words.

 

Based on Mina’s tone, she didn’t mean that this other person loved Nayeon like Mina did now. She meant that this other person loved Nayeon romantically.

 

As if!

 

Nayeon quickly dismissed it as a joke and stood up, albeit quite abruptly. Fortunately, Mina didn’t take offense, and got up as well. “I should go check on Jeongyeon and Momo,” Nayeon said, her voice shaking from all the emotions swirling through her. “Who knows what those fools are up to?”

 

“And I’ll go give a talk to Chaeyoung,” Mina said. Nodding, Nayeon turned and left the room. None of the members (save for Jihyo and Sana, who were watching T.V. in utter rapture, most likely because they were able to watch their favorite dramas again) were present in the living room. Nayeon figured that they were in their respective rooms.

 

All of a sudden, tears welled up in her eyes.

 

The emotions of the past few days, the emotions of what had just happened, and how much she had missed Jeongyeon and Momo came rushing back. To Nayeon, it felt like getting hit with bricks, one after one after one. So she did the only thing that came to mind –

 

She hurried over to Jeongyeon and Momo’s room.

 

Both girls were lounging on their bed, struggling to stay awake. In Jeongyeon’s case, she was most likely suffering from jetlag, and in Momo’s case...Momo wanted to sleep half the time, so that wasn’t a surprise. They’d have to put off sleeping for now, though.

 

Jeongyeon spotted Nayeon first. She beamed and sat straight. “Hey, it’s our favorite idiot! Next to Momo, of course.”

 

“Oh, shut up,” Momo muttered, before smiling at Nayeon. “We’re back, Nayeon!”

 

Like a tap had been switched on, tears started to flow, and Nayeon threw herself into Jeongyeon’s arms.

 

The next few minutes were spent with Nayeon sobbing, Jeongyeon hugging her tightly, and Momo stroking her hair. Both girls said nothing, allowing Nayeon to let out the emotions she had bottled up, just like before.

 

A strange thought entered Nayeon’s mind, like a small bubble of warmth within icy cold water.

 

She really wouldn’t have had it any other way.

 

Being there, crying in Jeongyeon’s arms, with Momo close by, was the closest thing to happiness Nayeon could get. No, no –

 

It _was_ happiness.

 

With this in mind, Nayeon calmed down rather quickly, drying her tears on Jeongyeon’s shirt. (Jeongyeon would complain later, but for now, she wouldn’t say a word.)

 

Silence followed. Nayeon couldn’t help but smile; these two girls really knew everything about Nayeon, didn’t they? They knew when she was sad, when she was happy, and when she was going to say something.

 

Say something she did.

 

“All the teasing, that horrible way of coping,” she sniffled, rubbing her eyes. “It was stupid, wasn’t it? I mean, it led to all of...that. Which we really could’ve done without, I guess. I don’t...I didn’t mean for that to happen. You two have no idea, how badly I want to redo everything.” With a shaky, rattling intake of breath, she continued slowly. “It’s not that I’m not hurt over Mina. I told her I used to be, but I still am. I haven’t forgotten it, and I know I never will. I do support Chaeyoung and Mina together, I really do, and I shouldn’t have taken it that far. I was just influenced...by how hurt I was. You know, Mina was my everything before. Just getting betrayed like that...though it doesn’t affect me as much anymore, I still remembered it. I don’t know. It was bad. I hate myself.”

 

More silence.

 

Nayeon stifled a chuckle. She looked up into Jeongyeon’s eyes, then looked into Momo’s. “Yeah, yeah, and I missed you two. A lot.”

 

Jeongyeon and Momo smiled in satisfaction. Jeongyeon pushed Nayeon’s head back down, her hold on Nayeon getting just a little more tighter – or did Nayeon imagine it? “It’s alright now,” Jeongyeon murmured. “We’re here. _I’m_ here. “

 

Those very words sent a surge of warmth through Nayeon. After all, they were the words she had wanted to hear for a while, though she wouldn’t admit to it.

 

Not just warmth was coursing through her.

 

Something else, too.

 

Though Nayeon wanted nothing more than to stay like that, protected by Jeongyeon, forever in her arms, Momo next to her, she knew she had something else to go tend to.

 

A certain Son Chaeyoung was waiting.

 

So, with a heavy sigh, Nayeon got up and smiled at Jeongyeon and Momo. They didn’t protest – they knew what she needed to do.

 

They knew her so very well, and for that, Nayeon was grateful.

 

She headed outside, straight for the maknaes’ room.

 

Oh, and that other emotion accompanying the warmth?

 

Courage.

 

She wasn’t living in denial anymore.


	12. A Seemingly Happy Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the end of an era has finally come, to nayeon and michaeng's delight.

_Nayeon_

 

Only a second passed after Nayeon knocked on the maknaes’ door before it opened.

 

Standing in front of her was Dahyun, who was yawning and rubbing her eyes. Naturally, the yawn stopped halfway and her hand paused in its rubbing. She widened her eyes, then glanced back towards the other two girls in the room repeatedly. “We’ll leave, then,” she murmured, her lips curving into a rather sympathetic smile. She gestured behind her before passing by Nayeon and into the living room. That gesture, as Nayeon found out, was meant for Tzuyu. The younger girl looked strangely worried, as explained by her whisper. “Chaeyoung seems really depressed. Please be kind to her.”

 

“Of course I will,” Nayeon assured her. She knew Tzuyu cared the most for Chaeyoung, and made a mental note to try and not use harsh words that would hurt Chaeyoung. Tzuyu nodded, immediately wrapping her arms around Nayeon in a surprising embrace. “I missed you,” she said softly, giving Nayeon a squeeze before quickly pulling away and hurrying after Dahyun. Surprising, indeed, for the youngest member never showed affection to Nayeon, Jihyo, or Sana.

 

Nayeon could think about that later. There was someone else she had to tend to.

 

She wordlessly stepped into the room, gently closing the door behind her. The sight before her wasn’t too shocking: Chaeyoung, curled up in a ball, on the bottom bunk of the bed she shared with Dahyun. She seemed to be motionless, but as soon as Nayeon cleared her throat, she sprang to her feet...

 

...and didn’t say a word.

 

She kept her eyes lowered, her chin tucked to her chest. Nayeon could tell Chaeyoung felt ashamed, because Nayeon wanted to do the same thing. And it would’ve been a lie if she said she didn’t want Chaeyoung to start the conversation; Nayeon had no idea what to say at all.

 

Of course, she _had_ to start the conversation. After all, she was the eldest, wasn’t she?

 

So naturally, she started by apologizing.

 

“Look, Chaeyoung,” Nayeon said, rather hesitantly. (She silently scolded herself for sounding so cautious; it wasn’t _her_.) She cleared her throat and started again, her tone more bold. “That thing happening in the library. It shouldn’t have started, right? And I admit it’s my fault, at least partly. So I’m sorry.” She narrowed her eyes, turning an intense stare onto Chaeyoung, but quickly dialed the intensity down upon remembering Tzuyu’s words. “Alright? I’m sorry. Because I just added fuel to the fire.”

 

“...I’m sorry, too,” Chaeyoung muttered, finally looking up and meeting Nayeon’s eyes.  Chaeyoung’s were full of guilt – as Mina said – and regret, which must’ve been hidden somewhere in Nayeon’s eyes as well. “It was stupid. And yeah, partly my fault too. That shouldn’t have happened. If I hadn’t been such an idiot, it’d have stopped. I never...I never meant any of that.” Her voice became choked, and Nayeon saw tears start to well up in her eyes.

 

Nayeon didn’t want this to be a tear-fest, though.

 

“Great.” She nodded, crossing her arms and taking on the look of a serious young woman, which she knew would make Chaeyoung laugh. Indeed, Chaeyoung started laughing; the sight was far too amusing. And why wouldn’t it be? For Nayeon really never was serious, despite herself being the eldest.

 

Once Chaeyoung’s laughs had ceased, sighs of relief were exchanged. The tension in the air had completely disappeared after the apologies were said. Nayeon couldn’t help but feel a bit proud; she had managed to keep Chaeyoung from getting too upset, and heeded Tzuyu’s words.

 

_Keep yourself humble, Im Nayeon. Before the whole thing starts all over again._

 

Nayeon figured it was time to go.

 

Apparently, it wasn’t.

 

Chaeyoung spoke up, her voice curious yet soft. “Nayeon...are you still, y’know, hurt...? Because of Minari?”

 

_Oof._

 

Nayeon really would have preferred it if Chaeyoung never brought the topic up. Time had passed, but her wounds were still fresh. Chaeyoung just saying Mina’s nickname, the very nickname that slipped out of Nayeon’s mouth so easily back then, the nickname that would cause Mina to turn around and flash her gummy smile at Nayeon...it was like rubbing salt into those wounds.

 

She was living in denial. No matter what, she knew she’d be living in denial for quite a long time. It was part of the process of getting over Mina – it was truly how to cope. Coping was painful, not fun and easy like Nayeon tried to make it be. But she knew she had to get over it. One step at a time. And acknowledging it, especially to Chaeyoung, was a step forward.

 

So Nayeon took a deep breath.

 

And nodded.

 

“It’s hard,” she confessed, folding her hands together. “Really. I don’t blame Mina, but...it’s pretty hard, after what she did. I mean, she just...kind of threw it at my face in an indirect way. It still hurts. I can’t say that I’m not glad that my true feelings aren’t meant for Mina, though.”

 

The mischievious grin on Chaeyoung’s face made Nayeon realize exactly what had just escaped her mouth.

 

“A-anyways, I’m not against you and Mina!” she hastily added, hoping her earlier statement would go ignored. “I support you two. And you look cute...!”

 

The grin would not fade.

 

“Well, who is it? Jeongyeon or Momo?”

 

Nayeon wasn’t too surprised. Chaeyoung, not to mention everyone else, knew Nayeon spent the most time with Jeongyeon and Momo. Nor was Nayeon surprised hearing the way Chaeyoung said Momo’s name, dragging it out and wiggling her eyebrows. Of course she’d think Nayeon liked Momo; the two would always cuddle whenever possible and make flirtatious jokes. Nayeon would always go to Momo first whenever something happened, for comfort.

 

But that didn’t necessarily mean she liked _Momo._

 

“It’s Jeongyeon.”

 

The shocked look on Chaeyoung’s face was absolutely priceless.

 

(Nayeon wished she had taken a picture.)

 

“See, I might still be hung up over Mina,” Nayeon explained, meeting Chaeyoung’s widened eyes with an unwavering gaze. “But, kind of like how she lost her feelings for me, I did, too. The fact that I’m hurt because of her might prove that yeah, I still do like her a bit. But I did realize, like she did, that she’s not the one. And when I did some thinking, I knew it was Jeongyeon.”

 

Nayeon now knew that the person Mina was talking about may as well have been Jeongyeon.

 

How badly she hoped it was true.

 

Before Chaeyoung could speak, Nayeon hurriedly added one last thing. “I know it seems really stupid. Even to you. I mean, Mina stopped liking me and loved you, even while we were dating. I stopped liking Mina and now I love Jeongyeon. But...it’s how the heart works, isn’t it?” She smiled sadly and shrugged. “It’s twisted, it’s cruel, it’s absolutely terrible. But we can’t help it. We’re dominated by our heart, and our heart makes its own decisions.”

 

Silence. A thoughtful silence, in which Nayeon pondered over Jeongyeon and Mina, and Chaeyoung most likely pondered over Nayeon, Mina, and herself.

 

The silence was broken after two minutes. Chaeyoung pulled Nayeon into a sudden hug, surprising Nayeon much like how Tzuyu did because of the same exact action. “Good luck, then,” Chaeyoung whispered, patting Nayeon’s back once, twice, thrice, before stepping back. Her eyes shone with genuine happiness and even a hint of guilt, but Nayeon could understand that, for she felt the same way. “And I’m sorry.”

 

“Enough with the apologies!” Nayeon said sternly, resuming her serious impression before softening and giving Chaeyoung a smile. “I am too. But seriously. Are we going to move on, or what? Everything happened, everything’s done with. Let’s leave now.”

 

Chaeyoung agreed.

 

They walked out into the living room, where all the other members were situated as well. Mina and Jihyo sat on the sofa, Sana sat on the large “massage” seat with Dahyun on her lap, and Tzuyu sat in between Momo and Jeongyeon on the floor. Nayeon exchanged one last grin with Chaeyoung, and the two headed to their respective areas. Naturally, Chaeyoung sat beside Mina, and Nayeon sat beside Jeongyeon.

 

For some odd reason, Nayeon’s heart felt light when she saw Mina rest her head on Chaeyoung’s shoulder, a broad smile full of happiness adorning her face.

 

And Nayeon’s heart only felt lighter when she looked at Jeongyeon, who looked back at her, her lips curved into a rather shy smile.

 

A few minutes passed before the members lapsed into silence, looking at each other. Of course, Jihyo spoke first. Nayeon didn’t have to turn around to see the smirk on her face. “So! Nayeon! Would you like to tell us what happened while we were gone? I’m sure you all had fun, and we’d like to hear about it.”

 

Jihyo knew very well what had happened. So had the other members.

 

Nayeon was just getting a taste of her own medicine, wasn’t she?

 

She didn’t mind.

 

As she stood up and positioned herself in front of the T.V., her gaze sweeping over the members, she thought back to what she said to Chaeyoung.

 

_It’s how the heart works, isn’t it?_

 

_It’s twisted, it’s cruel, it’s absolutely terrible. But we can’t help it._

 

_We’re dominated by our heart, and our heart makes its own decisions._

 

A gentle smile towards Mina.

 

A mischievious grin towards Chaeyoung.

 

And to Jeongyeon...

 

Well, the eyes full of those recurring emotions, love and happiness, that looked back out at Nayeon was all she needed.

 

It had been quite a rollercoaster. Ups and downs, particularly that extreme down near the end of the ride.

 

But throughout it, Nayeon, Mina, and Chaeyoung had all learned one thing, that was for sure.

 

Even though their decisions regarding love may have been stupid and childish, they all worked out in the end, didn’t they?

 

So they had to trust their hearts. No matter how ugly the outcome would seem, they had to listen to their hearts.

 

They did so, and if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be where they were presently, which was the situation they had dreamed of being in.

 

Nayeon felt like her heart had flown away, on wings, free to do whatever it wanted.

 

So she took a deep breath.

 

She grinned widely.

 

“Well, I found out that Mina’s been Chaeting!”

END


End file.
